Apple moth battle coming to Nipomo
By Adobe Staff
A battle is brewing on the Nipomo Mesa against a new invasive agricultural pest, but the state has delayed its planned assault on the light brown apple moth recently found in two locations.
As a result, the state has canceled a meeting originally set for Monday to inform the public about the pheromone weapons that will be deployed to fight the insects.
No reason was given for the delay.
Technicians from the California Department of Food and Agriculture planned to set out twist ties containing a moth pheromone usually released by female moths to attract mates.
The pheromone-laced twist ties would distract or confuse adult male moths so they could not find female moths to mate with, said Rich Little, deputy county agriculture commissioner.
Eventually, the moth population would decline and collapse as the rate of breeding slowed and, eventually, subsided, Little said.
Twist-tie strips were to be hung on outdoor plants within neighborhoods where the moths were recently found near Cypress Ridge and Blacklake golf courses, according to information provided to the Arroyo Grande City Council by the state agency.
Residents in those areas will be contacted about the pheromone twist ties prior to their placement, Little said.
He noted the pheromone is registered and approved for use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
A scientific review of the product by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment and the California Department of Public Health found a low probability of adverse health effects due to low toxicity and low rate of application, Little said.
However, some sensitive individuals could have an allergic reaction.
The light brown apple moth, native to Australia, can affect hundreds of plants.
The caterpillar stage of the insect can destroy, stunt or deform young seedlings and spoil the appearance of ornamental plants, including oaks, redwoods, and many other plants commonly found in urban landscapes, public parks and the natural environment.
It also can injure citrus fruits, grapes and deciduous fruits.
California is the only area in the continental United States known to be infested by the light brown apple moth.
For more information about the pest, visit www.cdfa.ca.gov//lbam.
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RobertW wrote on Feb 4, 2010 11:41 AM:
Much Of The Information Delivered By CDFA To The Adobe Press In This Article Is False.
TRUTH #1: The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) fabricated the threat from LBAM to fraudulently access $ Billions of dollars of taxpayer funds pretending to fix an emergency.
LBAM has done NO DAMAGE to forests anywhere on the Earth. LBAM has been in Hawaii for 115 years and NO DAMAGE. LBAM is not a crop-damaging pest of economic significance in any country on Earth where LBAM lives. LBAM is "Infesting" Santa Cruz and San Francisco Counties at mature population levels as exist in other countries, but "NO CROP DAMAGE" per the CDFA Draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) (Chapter #3, Page 3-20, section 3.2.3.2, lines #4 & 5 and Chapter #3, Page 3-21, third and fourth line under Table 3-16).
The reason CDFA put the truth in the EIR is because a judge will likely review the EIR during lawsuits against the LBAM Eradication Program, but since judges don't make judgments on media articles or falsehoods in community meetings, CDFA top management continues to lie to the media and CDFA management continues to lie at these community meetings.
If the CDFA shows pictures of LBAM damage, which they often fabricate, ask them why that damage isn't included in their own Draft EIR. Also, ask them how they differentiate other tortricidae moth larva from LBAM since even the most sophisticated laboratories can not DNA differentiate them and the populations of other related tortricidae moths are found dominating LBAM by between 50 and 200 to one. Finally, ask them why no agriculture commissioner in any county in the state has any actual documentation of LBAM damage.
Some agricultural commissioners may repeat the false stories they've been told since they work for CDFA, but ask for actual documentation from any county commissioner in California and you will find that there is NONE. The CDFA and the USDA delivered stories of crop threat and crop damage to create a false impression of emergency for this moth. LBAM has almost the identical DNA as numerous other moths that are also living here in California and no threat to agriculture or forests. "